Dispenser for liner-wound tape



Patented July 27, 1943 DISPENSER FOR LINER-WOUND TPE Myron M. Hoover,Superior, Wis., assigner to Minnesota Mining' & Manufacturing Company,St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Application December 6,194i., Serial No. 421,856

2 claims. (ci. eis- 56) This invention relates to dispensers for linedor liner-wound tape, that is, tape that is wound in storage rolls with aliner. The liner is usually a strip of cloth, paper, Cellophane or thelike, usually of the same width and approximately the same thickness asthe tape. The liner and the tape are placed one on top of the otherbefore being wound up into a roll so that theV layers or convolutions oftape, when it is in roll form, are

held apart and separated from each other bythe liner. Liners are used inwinding various kinds of tape whenever such separation is advantageous.

The invention finds particular utility in dispensers for tape that isdouble-coated (coated on both sides) with normally tacky orpressuresensitive adhesive which is adherent without the necessity ofactivation by water, solvents or heat, such tape usually being coveredwith a liner on at least one side when wound in rolls and beingremovable therefrom without transfer or o'setting of the adhesive, dueto the highly cohesive nature of the adhesive.

Such double-coated pressure-sensitive. tape ilnds great utility as asubstitute for a thin layer of liquid adhesive wherever two objects areto be adhered together, but one problem heretofore has been the handlingof such tape during use. If one side of such tape is covered with aprotective liner when it wound up in a roll for storage,

fthe liner must be removed and disposed of in some way when the tape isunwound and severed into lengths for use. Heretofore such disposal hasbeen time-consuming. It is highly desirable to eliminate this fault atlittle or no cost because one of the advantages of double-coated tape isthat it saves time.'

When using such double-coated vliner-covered tape, if a length issevered with the liner still ad hering to it the two layers must bepeeled apart` by hand at the cost of considerable time before actualuse. If the liner is removed before severing, it must be drawn away fromthe tape and disposed of by an operation separate from the operation ofwithdrawing and severing the tape itself. If a dispenser is being usedand a separate "take-up roll is provided to receive and wind up theliner, such take-up roll must be either turned separately by hand orelse an elaborate mechanism must be provided to vary the j speed of thetake-up roll to compensate for the rolls gradual increase in size as theliner is wound onto it.

Therefore, one of the objects of this invention Which will dispose of aliner automatically; Y In which all the force or actuation that isrequired for disposal oi the liner is supplied by the simple withdrawalof the tape from the supply roll, so as to adapt the disposal means tomanual as well as to power-driven dispensers;

Which will automatically dispose of a liner in such a manner thatinmanually operated machines the operator need do no more than towithdraw and sever the tape; and

In which the used liner is preserved for further use.

Dispensers embodying the principles of this invention have been highlysuccessful in meeting fully all of the above requirements; whereas nodevice previous to this invention of which l' know, has been found so todo.

According to the present invention a device is provided in a tapedispenser comprising a takeup roll rotatably mounted between thedispensers tape supply roll and tape severing means in such a positionthat the lined side of the tape (that is, the side which is covered bythe liner) contacts .the take-up roll as the tape is drawn from thesupply roll towards the severing means so that the, moving' tape rotatesthe take-up roll, thereby providing a rotating element around which theliner may be wound so as to remove it from the tape and dispose of it,i. e., take it o the tape and out of the way, as fast as theliner-covered tapeis drawn past the take-up roll.

The take-up roll is rotated by its fric-tional contact with the movingtape. Friction between the tape and the take-up roll may be increased bypassing the tape around an idler roller either before or after the tapecontacts the take-up roll, thereby increasing the area of contactbetween the tape and the take-up roll. If the tape goes around the idlerroller before it reaches the take-up roll, then the friction between thetape and the take-up roll may be still further increased by providingmeans for braking the idler roller. This requires a harder pull to drawthe tape past the severingmeans 'with a sumequent greater tension andgreater friction around the take-up roll.

is toprovide a simple inexpensive tape dispenser: A adhesive. Such adispenser is suitable for. use in stores, factories, studios, libraries,laboratories, homes, etc.

In the accompany drawing:

Figure 1 is a left side elevation.

Figure 2 is a front elevation.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of an alternative mode ofoperation.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of a means for increasingfriction between the tape and the take-up roll.

To the base II is attached the vertical framework l2 to which, in turn,are attached directly or indirectly various parts of the dispenser. BaseI I` may be of heavy weight to prevent movement of the portable machineduring use.

The supply roll R of double-coated (coated on both sides)pressure-sensitive adhesive tape is carried on the tape roll holder drumI3 which is rotatably mounted on the upwardly extending arm |241 at therear of the' dispenser and positioned or aligned so that when tape iswithdrawn and threaded forwardly through the machine it will pass overthe severing element at the front end.

Forwardly of the supply drum as the take-up rollM is rotatably mountedon the frame, its axis parallel with that of the drum I3 and aligned tocontact the tape as it is threaded through the dispenser. A disc-shapedange Ida on the right side of the roll serves as a guide during winding.A second flange or guide may be placed on the left of the roll ifdesired.

The take-up roll I4 is preferably located sulficiently below (or above)the line of travel'which the tape would. take were it stretched directlyfrom the supply drum i3 to the severing means, so as to compel the tapeto Contact the take-up roll over a greater portion of its periphery thanwould result from a simple tangential contact, i. e., so as to compelthe tape to pass somewhat around the take-up roll rather than to touchit at one point only. The take-up roll is rotated by means of thefrictional contact between its periphery and the moving tape; thegreater the area of contact between the two, the greater the frictionand hence the desirability of having -the tape contact the take-up roll'along a substantial portion of its circumference. To provide a means,when needed, for increasing the friction between the tape and thetake-up roll, an idler roller I5 is rotatably mounted forwardly of andabove the take-up roll lf3 on the upwardly extending arm l2b in line topermit the tape to pass around its periphery.

When such a roller is to be contacted with the unlinedpressure-sensitive adhesive coated side of the tape (as in theillustrated dispenser) the rollers periphery may be knurled and orgrooved so as to reduce the area of contact and thereby facilitateremoval of the adhesive tape from it as the tape passes on towards thetake-up roll.

'The idler roller l5 may have a braking means such as the spiral springIl around the shaft It between the idler roller and the supporting armIZb, the spring being loaded to press against'the tween the base andtheA shaft is loaded to press the roller i8 upwardly against the take-uproll I6.

At the forward end of the dispenser there is attached to the base I Ithe vertical support 2I at the top of which is attached the severingmeans comprising a severing edge 22 and a hard smooth shelf-like surface22a immediately to the rear thereof onto which the leading end of theunsevered portion of the tape may be temporarily adhered to await thenext dispensing operation. The severing means here shown is similar tothat disclosed in Borden Patent No. 2,221,213 issued November 12, 1940.

In operation a roll of double-coated pressuresensitive adhesive tape,wound with a liner between the convolutions thereof is mounted on thesupply roll holder drum I3 and faced so that the tape leads oif from theunder side of the roll towards the front of the dispenser. The unwindingis begun in such a manner that the liner adheres to the upper side ofthe tape as it is led away from the roll, leaving the under side of thetape unlined with its adhesive surface exposed.

The tape T, thus covered or lined on its upper side with the liner L, istrained around the under side of the take-up roll It and is drawnforwardly. This forward movement of the lined tape with its linercontacting the periphery of the take-up roll I4, rotates the take-uproll counterclockwise (Figure 1). The tape and the liner are thenseparated and the unlined tape drawn forwardly. While the tape isbeing'thus drawn forwardly, the liner is trained upwardly and rearwardlyclose around the periphery of the rotating take-up roll until itsleading end is covered by the next convolution of lined tape as thelatter cornes from the supply roll and begins to contact the take-uproll. This first convolution of liner around the bare periphery of thetake-up roll should be drawn tight and the turning of the roll should becontinued until the leading end of the liner is suiciently covered bythe next convolution to hold the first convolution in place. At thispoint the forwardly advancing portion of the unlined tape T may bebrought to rest by adhering its under side temporarily to the shelflikesurface 22a just to the rear of the severing element 22. This completesthe threading and the dispenser is ready for operation.

To secure a piece of tape for use, the operator grasps the unlined tapejust to the rear of where it is temporarily adhering to the shelf 22a,lifts it oil'` from the shelf and draws it forwardly until the requiredlength has passed beyond the severing edge 22 whereupon it is severed bydrawing it downwardly against the edge. The severed portion is thenready for use. The forward end of the unsevered portion adherestemporarily to the shelf 22a in readiness for the next withdrawal.

This forward movement of the tape causes the take-up roll Il to rotatecounterclockwise at the necessary rate to take up the liner whereby the1iner,.its leading end being engaged between the lined tape and thetake-up rolls periphery, as previously described, is drawn away from thetape and wound up around the take-up roll.

Sometimes, due to the kind or condition of adnesive or tape backing, orto atmospheric or to other conditions, it may be found that the liner Lis not being wound up on the take-up roll Ill with sufficient tightness.For this or for other reasons, it may be found desirable to providegreater friction between the lined tape and the take-up roll, in whichcase the'lined tape may first be led from the supply roll R around theidler roller I5 and thence around the take-up roll, as shown bythedottedlinesT'andL'inFigurei.

'I'his the friction because of the added area of the take-up rollsperiphery which is contacted by the lined tape. The friction is furtherincreased by the braking action that is exerted by the idler roller I onthe tape which necessitates a harder pull by the operator with aresulting increased tension on the tape around the take-up roll. Thebraking action is brought about by the temporary adherence of the tapeto the idler roll er which latter is braked by the spring i1.

In handling some kinds ofdouble-coated tape and/or due to someconditions or for other reasons, an alternative method of leading thetape from the Supply roll R to the take-up roll Il may be employed, asshown in Figure 3, which has frequently been foimd to be advantageous;The tape T, being coated with adhesive on both sides. adherestemporarily both to thel liner above it and to the liner below it in theroll R. In threadingadispenserinthemannershowninlligure 3, the tape Tand the liner L are separated from the roll R and from each other forseveral inches back from the leading end. The liner -is unwound fornearly, but not quite, a full turn in ad- AVance of the tape so that thepoints :c and y at which the liner and tape break away from the t rdlare separated by approximately the relative distance (or number ofdegrees) shown in Figure 3. The liner and the tape are then led awayforwardly from the roll R, reunited to form two layers with the lineruppermost and then threaded through the dispenser from there on aspreviously described. Dueto the adherence of the liner L to beconsidered as a part of the roll. For example, reference tothe frictionbetween the advancing lined tape and the take-np roll means the frictionbetween the lined tape and the outer convolutionoilinerthatisthenontheroll.

Dispensers embodying this invention may employ power-driven means fordrawing or propelling the tape through the machine and for severing anddispensing it, without departing from the tape which is beneath it onthe roll R and the adherence of the tape T to the liner which is inturn, beneath .it on the roll R, the points of "break (x and u) willremain spaced apart apf Yproximately where they were first broken byhand the scope or spirit oi' the invention.

What I claim is: 1. A portable adhesive tape dispenser for dis- .pensingdouble-coated pressure-sensitive adhesive tape wound in rolls with aremovable hner, I

been pulled from the dispenser and to hold by adhesive contact theremaining end in position to be grasped for pulling a further lengthfrom the dispenser when desired, and an interposed rotatable drum havingits axis oir a plane drawn between the axis of the tape holder and thesevering element. said drum being located to receive and wind up theliner as tape is withdrawn. the tape being in irictional engagement andautomatically causing the drum to rotate at the necessary rate to takeup the liner, whereby the withdrawal of tape automatically causesseparation and winding up ofthe liner and the doublecoated tape can bereadily pulled out and severed into desired lengths.

2. In the method oi-removing the liner from double-coatedpressure-sensitive liner-wound adhesive .tape by a take-up roll that isrotated by its frictional engagement with the tape when the latter isbeing withdrawn from a supply roll thereof, the steps comprisingseparating the liner MYRON M. HOOVER.

